Velká Dobrá
Encyclopedia
Velká Dobrá is a village in the Central Bohemian Region
(Středočeský kraj) of the Czech Republic
.
, 4 kilometres from Kladno
, the local administrative capital. It is 409 metres above sea level. It is situated on the old route to Eger (part of the old Kingdom of Bohemia
, known now in Czech as Cheb
), and today is linked by road to Karlovy Vary
(German: Karlsbad). The village once contained nine ponds, but today only one remains, on the village green.
(1939-1945) the village was called Groß Dobray. In English, velká means "large" or great and dobrá means good; the name of the village refers to "good water" or "fertile land".
. A late 19th century archaeological
investigation led by Josef Szombathy
discovered a large middle Bronze Age
(ca.1200 BCE) grave site near the village in the forest of Hora. A monument constructed over 50 years stood over the largest grave mound. Around sixty graves were investigated, yielding bronze weapons, tools and utensils, several of which were sent for display at museums in Prague
and Vienna
.
The first written records of Dobrá date from 1328, when two strongholds existed in the area, the lower at the site of the modern school on J.A. Komensky Square and the upper stronghold (still standing in 2008) at the junction of the Kladno and Karlovy Vary roads. During the Hussite Wars
the settlement, located on an important trade route through Bohemia, was badly damaged. In 1548 Malá Dobrá had 8 settlers and Velká Dobrá nine.
The village sustained extensive damage during the Thirty Years' War
(1618-1648). Protestant troops under Fridrich Falcký
marched through Dobrá from Rakovnik
on August 26, 1619, and looted the village. During the war many residents were slaughtered, died of epidemic disease, or fled into the forests. In 1662, reports stated that six out of 14 farms at the settlement were still empty, and the lower village stronghold of Zdarsti ze Zdaru, used for accommodation during the 16th century, had been turned into farm land. In 1688, though, the former upper defensive stronghold was converted into a granary, suggesting a recovering population. This building is still standing in 2008.
Around 1753 the village erected a statue to Jan Nepomucky
, followed by a church in 1765. The church was remodelled to its current form in 1816 and dedicated by Antonin Hertzok z Adlersbergu, dean of Smečno
, on October 12, 1817.
Until the mid-nineteenth century the Kladno region was largely agricultural, and most Velká Dobrá residents were farmers. In 1843 Malá Dobrá's population numbered 326 persons in 42 households, with another 291 persons in 36 households (average eight residents per household) at Velká Dobrá. New employment opportunities emerged when the first black coal mines were opened in the Kladno region, and expanded when Adalbert Works, a steelworks and predecessor of the modern company Poldi, opened at Kladno. The population rose by 115 between 1843 and 1857, and reached a total of 748 across Malá and Velká Dobrá in 1870, despite a cholera
outbreak that killed 30 in 1866, following the stationing of Prussia
n troops at the village during the Austro-Prussian War
.
In 1929 the Unhošť
administrative district was abolished and Malá and Velká Dobrá became part of Kladno district.
and StB
(communist secret police) and Minister of the Interior during the communist putsch
in February 1948, was born at 161 Carlsbad Street.
Central Bohemian Region
Central Bohemian Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative center is placed in the Czech capital Prague , which lies in the center of the region...
(Středočeský kraj) of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Location
The village is located in central BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, 4 kilometres from Kladno
Kladno
Kladno is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located 25 km northwest of Prague. Kladno is the largest city of the region and holds a population together with its adjacent suburban areas of more than 110,000 people...
, the local administrative capital. It is 409 metres above sea level. It is situated on the old route to Eger (part of the old Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
, known now in Czech as Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
), and today is linked by road to Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
(German: Karlsbad). The village once contained nine ponds, but today only one remains, on the village green.
Origin of village name
Until 1935 the village was regarded as two separate settlements, Mala Dobrá and Velká Dobrá; these had earlier been called Horejsi and Dolejsi Dobra. During the Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
(1939-1945) the village was called Groß Dobray. In English, velká means "large" or great and dobrá means good; the name of the village refers to "good water" or "fertile land".
History
There is evidence of human inhabitation in the region of Velká Dobrá since prehistoryPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
. A late 19th century archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
investigation led by Josef Szombathy
Josef Szombathy
Josef Szombathy , was an Austrian archaeologist, who found the Venus of Willendorf in 1908.The Venus of Willendorf is an 11.1 cm high statuette of a female figure, discovered at a paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower Austria near the city of Krems...
discovered a large middle Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(ca.1200 BCE) grave site near the village in the forest of Hora. A monument constructed over 50 years stood over the largest grave mound. Around sixty graves were investigated, yielding bronze weapons, tools and utensils, several of which were sent for display at museums in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
The first written records of Dobrá date from 1328, when two strongholds existed in the area, the lower at the site of the modern school on J.A. Komensky Square and the upper stronghold (still standing in 2008) at the junction of the Kladno and Karlovy Vary roads. During the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
the settlement, located on an important trade route through Bohemia, was badly damaged. In 1548 Malá Dobrá had 8 settlers and Velká Dobrá nine.
The village sustained extensive damage during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
(1618-1648). Protestant troops under Fridrich Falcký
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
marched through Dobrá from Rakovnik
Rakovník
Rakovník is a town in the western part of the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic located between the cities of Prague and Plzeň. It has a population of approximately 16,000.- Trade and business :...
on August 26, 1619, and looted the village. During the war many residents were slaughtered, died of epidemic disease, or fled into the forests. In 1662, reports stated that six out of 14 farms at the settlement were still empty, and the lower village stronghold of Zdarsti ze Zdaru, used for accommodation during the 16th century, had been turned into farm land. In 1688, though, the former upper defensive stronghold was converted into a granary, suggesting a recovering population. This building is still standing in 2008.
Around 1753 the village erected a statue to Jan Nepomucky
John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional...
, followed by a church in 1765. The church was remodelled to its current form in 1816 and dedicated by Antonin Hertzok z Adlersbergu, dean of Smečno
Smecno
Smečno is a small town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 1,800 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, on October 12, 1817.
Until the mid-nineteenth century the Kladno region was largely agricultural, and most Velká Dobrá residents were farmers. In 1843 Malá Dobrá's population numbered 326 persons in 42 households, with another 291 persons in 36 households (average eight residents per household) at Velká Dobrá. New employment opportunities emerged when the first black coal mines were opened in the Kladno region, and expanded when Adalbert Works, a steelworks and predecessor of the modern company Poldi, opened at Kladno. The population rose by 115 between 1843 and 1857, and reached a total of 748 across Malá and Velká Dobrá in 1870, despite a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak that killed 30 in 1866, following the stationing of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n troops at the village during the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
.
In 1929 the Unhošť
Unhošt
Unhošť is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
administrative district was abolished and Malá and Velká Dobrá became part of Kladno district.
Notable inhabitants
Václav Nosek, a founder of the Czechoslovak Communist PartyCommunist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
and StB
STB
STB is an acronym that can mean:* Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Sacred Theology* Set-top box – a television device that converts signals to viewable images* Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP -- a law firm...
(communist secret police) and Minister of the Interior during the communist putsch
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
in February 1948, was born at 161 Carlsbad Street.